Refund Policy

ACEE operates a transparent refund policy to uphold fairness and service integrity in relation to Article Processing Charges (APCs). Refunds are considered under specific circumstances, primarily to ensure satisfaction when services cannot be delivered as promised.

Eligible Refund Conditions

• If a manuscript is not published within 10 days of formal acceptance due to unforeseen delay, eligible authors may request a full refund.
• If an administrative or technical error prevents completion of publication workflow, authors may be granted a refund.

Non‑Refundable Situations

Refunds are not granted if the author withdraws the submission voluntarily, chooses to submit elsewhere after acceptance, or fails to meet submission requirements. Routine delays that do not exceed acceptable thresholds also do not qualify.

Refund Request Procedure

• Submit a refund request via the submission portal or by emailing the editorial office, including manuscript ID, author name, and reason for refund.
• Requests must be made within 30 days of acceptance or notification of applicable delays.
• The request will be reviewed by the editorial team, and a decision communicated within a reasonable timeframe.

APC Waiver & Discounts

While ACEE charges APCs to cover publishing operations, it offers partial waivers to authors from low‑ and lower‑middle‑income regions. These waivers apply regardless of refund eligibility and support equitable access to publication.

Timelines & Disbursement

Approved refunds are typically processed within 30 days via the original payment method. Confirmation will be sent to the corresponding author once the refund is issued.

Impact on Future Submissions

Authors whose refund requests are approved within policy conditions may submit future work without penalty. However, misuse of the refund process, such as withdrawal after acceptance without valid reason, may affect eligibility for future submissions.